When Lauren Laverne (yeah right) Was around 16, she was at a party. For some unknown reason she told someone she was in a band called Kenickie (named after Danny's best mate in GREASE). This was the start of a bright and hopefully illustrious future.
Lauren went to a convent school in Sunderland where she became friends with the one we know as Marie. This was purely because she read the NME and knew who the Stone Roses were. All though they had known eachother before, when Marie would steal Lauren's crisps. They were also friends with an Emma Jackson (Emmy-Kate) the daughter of two Church Of England vicars, and an acting hopeful.
The day after the party Lauren decided that being in a band would be seriously cool. She persuaded the other two to join. They knew nothing of guitars, except Marie who knew a couple of chords. She set about teaching the others. They had one problem though, no drummer. This was solved after the infamous list was written
Then Emma went on holiday. when she returned she was confronted with dozens (well maybe not that many)of new songs for her to learn, all penned by Marie and Lauren. She also only had a couple of weeks until their first gig, she she had to learn them fast.
The next few years are a bit sparce.Perhaps they became international drug barons on the side, or worked for the CIA. I don't know, but they did release Catsuit City on the Sunderland label Slampt. Then came the Skillex E.P on the ever popular and terribly cool Fierce Panda. And as all cool people should know, Fierce Panda only ever have singles by the best bands. To get hold of a copy of this is not impossible, but Catsuit City is a collectable and even very evil people who don't like Kenickie try to find. Perhaps it's a conspiracy to keep us from hearing what are probably the best songs known to man.
Kenickie were soon signed to Emidisc and we thank the label for taking them on, as otherwise we may not have been able to hear the best band on the planet. (I know I'm arse-licking, but I mean it sincerely, and you never know who might read this!) On Emidisc many singles were released and their tremendous (and critically acclaimed) debut album 'At The Club'. But as soon as they were doing well the evil Emidisc (Yes I know I just said they were great, but a girl can change her mind can't she?) dictators forced our dear Kenicksters to re-release Punka against their will. They felt they had moved on from this early track. A greater sin than that portrayed br Emidisc has never been committed! (Well it probably has, but this is Kenickie world and that was high treason)
Kenickie were , as I've said beginning to do really well, having singles reach as high as no.26. But after the Punka incident they were depressed, realising that the power they held was far less greater than they believed. When they had to cancel the 1997 American tour due to Lauren's kidney problem, they packed it in. Deciding to take a year off to return home recouperate and generally slob around Sunderland having a re-think. They no longer wanted to rule the glitter empire they had once controlled. They weren't the 16 yr olds they had started off as (Excluding Johnny, they were adults and wanted to be able to show it. But they had grown up too soon, been subjected to new things all too fast, unable to aclimatise themselves to the hive of activity that was London. Lauren and Johnny set about writing a new album in their childhood dwelling. Rumour has it they said that if this new album failed they would give up and split the band.
So Kenickie have returned with almost as much media coverage as they started with, but are they re-born or merely grown up? Will they loose their core fanbase with their more mature outlook? There has been a lot of conflict among fans about whther they like the new stuff and whether 'Get In' will be any good. But those of us with faith know that their new stuff is the best around and at least as good as anything else they ever did! They deserve to get more success than they could ever dream of as we all know they should be rightful rulers of the world!
And so the new Kenickie line-up we salute you and your tremendous band-like skills.
The new lin-up are:-
Lauren Laverne-----Vocals
Marie Du Santiago--Rythm Guitar
Emmy-Kate Montrose-Bass
Peter Gofton (X)---Lead Guitar
The semi-perminant members:-
Dot Allen----------Keyboard
Graham Christie----Drums
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